The civilizations of ancient India had their own different governments. In the Indus Valley Civilization, priest kings were at the head of government. The Maurya Empire boasted a stable, centralized government that allowed the flourishing of trade and culture. That government had weakened by the time of the Gupta Empire, opening the gates to foreign invaders and civil wars. This informative volume charts the changes in leadership in ancient India and ends with a comparison to India’s government today. With engaging text, rich and colorful illustrations, and an enhanced e-book option, this title is a valuable resource for student reports.

DID THE GREAT FLOOD OF INDIAN LEGEND ACTUALLY HAPPEN? WHY DID THE BUDDHA WALK TO SARNATH TO GIVE HIS FIRST SERMON? HOW DID THE EUROPEANS MAP INDIA? The history of any country begins with its geography. With sparkling wit and intelligence, Sanjeev Sanyal sets off to explore India and look at how the country’s history was shaped by, among other things, its rivers, mountains and cities. Traversing remote mountain passes, visiting ancient archaeological sites, crossing rivers in shaky boats and immersing himself in old records and manuscripts, he considers questions about Indian history that we rarely ask: Why do Indians call their country Bharat? How did the British build the railways across the subcontinent? Why was the world’s highest mountain named after George Everest? Moving from the geological beginnings of the subcontinent to present-day Gurgaon, Land of the Seven Rivers is riveting, wry and full of surprises. It is the most entertaining history of India you will ever read.

The civilizations of ancient India had their own different governments. In the Indus Valley Civilization, priest kings were at the head of government. The Maurya Empire boasted a stable, centralized government that allowed the flourishing of trade and culture. That government had weakened by the time of the Gupta Empire, opening the gates to foreign invaders and civil wars. This informative volume charts the changes in leadership in ancient India and ends with a comparison to India’s government today. With engaging text, rich and colorful illustrations, and an enhanced e-book option, this title is a valuable resource for student reports.

Could you be related to a blonde Lithuanian? Did you know that India is the only country that has both lions and tigers? Who found out how tall Mt Everest is? If you've ever wanted to know the answers to questions like these, this is the book for you. In here you will find various things you never expected, such as the fact that we still greet each other like the Harappans did and that people used to think India was full of one-eyed giants. And, sneakily, you'll also know more about India's history and geography by the end of it. Full of quirky pictures and crazy trivia, this book takes you on a fantastic journey through the incredible history of India's geography.

We often think of ancient times as simpler and more basic, but the ancient Mesopotamians were a complex society, in which people used their geography to their advantage. This informative resource explores the rise of the city-state as well as what led to their development, including the heights and densities of the buildings and levels of government. Readers will also learn how city-states differ from simple settlements. This thoroughly researched volume also delves into Mesopotamian empires and how the ancient Mesopotamians governed, such as by using a set of laws called the Code of Hammurabi.

In India: A Sacred Geography, renowned Harvard scholar Diana Eck offers an extraordinary spiritual journey through the pilgrimage places of the world's most religiously vibrant culture and reveals that it is, in fact, through these sacred pilgrimages that India’s very sense of nation has emerged. No matter where one goes in India, one will find a landscape in which mountains, rivers, forests, and villages are elaborately linked to the stories of the gods and heroes of Indian culture. Every place in this vast landscape has its story, and conversely, every story of Hindu myth and legend has its place. Likewise, these places are inextricably tied to one another—not simply in the past, but in the present—through the local, regional, and transregional practices of pilgrimage. India: A Sacred Geography tells the story of the pilgrim’s India. In these pages, Diana Eck takes the reader on an extraordinary spiritual journey through the living landscape of this fascinating country –its mountains, rivers, and seacoasts, its ancient and powerful temples and shrines. Seeking to fully understand the sacred places of pilgrimage from the ground up, with their stories, connections and layers of meaning, she acutely examines Hindu religious ideas and narratives and shows how they have been deeply inscribed in the land itself. Ultimately, Eck shows us that from these networks of pilgrimage places, India’s very sense of region and nation has emerged. This is the astonishing and fascinating picture of a land linked for centuries not by the power of kings and governments, but by the footsteps of pilgrims. India: A Sacred Geography offers a unique perspective on India, both as a complex religious culture and as a nation. Based on her extensive knowledge and her many decades of wide-ranging travel and research, Eck's piercing insights and a sweeping grasp of history ensure that this work will be in demand for many years to come.